Thank You
by DM aka Dark Moon
Summary: Snape thinks about leaving Hogwarts for good. Can a certain someone change his mind? R


Thank You  
  
By Dark Moon  
  
Disclaimers: I don't own Harry Potter or his gang. They all belong to that creative genius J.K. Rowling.  
  
Author's Note: I was reading 'Good Will To Men….Even Potion Masters' by JayKay when this idea came to me. I wrote it down and am sending it to you, please review and tell me what you think. I didn't have a chance to spell check it so if you find any mistakes please point them out to me.  
  
  
  
Professor Severus Snape sat at his desk in the dungeons wondering why he even bothered to come up with that year's curriculum.  
  
"All I end up teaching are a bunch of lazy dunderheads who think potions are beneath them." He murmured to himself.  
  
He had been thinking of leaving the school for quite some time now. After Voldemort's death and the disappearing of the mark he had time to think of what he wanted to do without having to worry if it would endanger anyone's life. It had been a long time since he had had a vacation, taking some time away from these walls might be good for him. Severus was just envisioning a stay in some remote place away from wailing children and blown up cauldrons when there was a knock on the door. Still sitting, he waved his hand in the direction of the door with a faint "come in" to the visitor.  
  
He heard footsteps enter the room and stop right in front of him. Glancing up, Snape saw the one person he would never have guessed enter his class again.  
  
"Hello Professor." Harry Potter greeted.  
  
"Potter." He replied, not letting any of his surprise show through.  
  
At Thirty-five, Harry was almost as tall as he himself was, thanks to hearty meals and living with his godfather for a couple years he supposed. His hair was longer than before but was still wild and unkempt and of course looking more like James now that he was older but if you looked in his eyes you could tell that his mother's caring spirit was in him. Wearing an open black cloak revealing tailored tan slacks and a silk green shirt, Harry smiled down at his old professor.  
  
"What are you doing here, Potter? I should think that you of all people would loathe to come to my office after you have graduated and become the star Quidditch player everyone expected." Snape said, putting his quill down and turning all attention to his visitor.  
  
"I guess you haven't been reading the post lately, I haven't played Quidditch professionally for almost ten years now. But that's not what I'm here for." Harry said, sitting down in one of the chairs in front of the desk.  
  
Snape raised an eyebrow but did not comment. He waited while Harry adjusted in his seat for a comfortable position. Little did he know that Snape had designed those chairs to make the person sitting in them extra uncomfortable. It just wouldn't do for a student to be relaxed while being reprimanded. Harry gave up and just settled for sitting as straight as he possibly could before speaking.  
  
"Well what are you here for? I daresay it's for the pleasure of my company." Snape said, frowning at his former student.  
  
Harry sighed before leaning forward a little, "I came to say thank you."  
  
Severus looked at Harry like he had grown an extra head. "For what?" he asked, curious as to why Harry Potter would be thanking him. The hated Potions Master.  
  
"For all you've done for me while I was at Hogwarts and then during the fight with Voldemort. I was too young and stupid back then to figure out that you really cared if I lived or died, that you risked your life many times just to save mine. When you were hard on me in class so that I would learn what was necessary in order to survive in the real world. That's what I came to thank you for."  
  
Severus stared at him in shock.  
  
"Of course you're still a slimy git and I know we'll never be friends but I just wanted you to know that, even though I hated the way you treated me I now know that it was for my own good. Because of you I never let being 'The Boy Who Lived' get to my head."  
  
Harry stood up, brushing imaginary lint from his sleeves. All Snape could do was blink at him, his mouth hanging open in complete surprise.  
  
"You're a great teacher, professor. The way you teach may seem cruel and unusual but it gets the best result out of some of the most stubborn of your students." Harry then smiled at him and left the room, passing Albus Dumbledore who was about to come in.  
  
"Hello Headmaster." Harry greeted.  
  
"Ah Harry my lad. How's it going at the Institute?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"I never thought of how stressful teaching a roomful of students could be and I used to be just like them. But I'm getting along great, I just need to get Professor McGonagal's advice on something and I'll be heading out." Harry replied.  
  
'Good, good. I won't keep you then." Albus nodded to Harry and watched as he walked up the stairs. With a smile he turned back to Severus who was still sitting in his seat but his mouth was now closed.  
  
"What's the matter Severus? You look like you've eaten a hot pepper flavored jelly bean." Albus asked, walking over to his friend and waving a hand in front of him.  
  
"Potter just came in here to thank me for being so hard on him." Severus said after a few minutes.  
  
"Really? I wondered why he was down here." Albus mused.  
  
"Is he really a teacher? I thought he'd be an Auror or something."  
  
"He is an Auror but he also helps train the new ones for the Ministry and has actually been asked to teach Dark Arts at a few of the schools in Europe. I'd have him here but Remus is an excellent teacher, if I may say so." Albus then sat in front of Severus' desk and studied him.  
  
"Are you sure you want to leave us permanently?" Severus didn't want to know how Albus knew he had been thinking about leaving Hogwarts all together but didn't mind since he had his decision ready for him.  
  
"Not just yet Albus. I don't think my work here is done." Severus said slowly, Harry's thank you still drifting in his head.  
  
"Excellent. I'll leave you to your work then." Albus stood and left the room, closing the door behind him.  
  
Professor Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin House, Potions Master for over sixty years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry gave a small smile to his classroom and with renewed strength began planning the school years curriculum for the next group of young minds.  
  
End 


End file.
